This post is all about the lessons I learned by making A LOT of mistakes the first time I rented my camping cabins on Airbnb. Inviting complete strangers to stay at a place you’ve put a ton into is nerve racking for certain. Truth be told, you will never really be ready for that day, but if you pay attention along the way, you will learn to become an excellent host. This post tells about the mistakes I made so that you can learn the easier way on the road to becoming the best camping cabin host possible.
1. Not Watching Listings
Creating a listing on Airbnb or other hosting sites is a little work but is fairly straightforward. But in the beginning, I lost track of things because I had my first two listings go live at the same time. I didn’t double check and apparently forgot to block off one of the rentals.
Expecting my first guests in two weeks, I was at the camping cabins when I got a text. Congratulations! Jean has booked your property for tomorrow night! Arrrrgh! I wasn’t close to ready, but I didn’t want to start things off with a cancellation. I had a problem.
2. Not being reachable
Phone coverage was horrible when I first started renting out the camping cabins. I was lucky to get the text that first disastrous night and had to drive a quarter mile down the road to get reception. If I had missed the message my first potential guest would have given a horrible review, and I would have deserved it! Jean was incredibly understanding when I explained that the cabins weren’t supposed to be available for another two weeks and that things may not be completely ready.
Jean said that she and her son were looking forward to camping and that they would still love to come. They would be arriving at 3 the next day. The race was on! One of my next investments was to get Wi-Fi calling to avoid missing calls and for guest convenience and safety. It’s been worth every penny.
3. Not Watching Language in the Posting
Another mistake I originally made when listing my camping cabins was not examining terms closely enough. If it wasn’t for Jean’s understanding and input, this could have cost me a lot! When I first started out, bathroom facilities consisted of a porta Jon (Which I proudly own 😀 but has cost a lot to service) a 5-gallon water container for hand washing and bottled water for drinking. For outside showers, there were water bags designed to warm in the sun and good for a quick rinse.
To me this is called a camp shower but I found out that this isn’t true for everyone. Going by the listing, Jean was expecting a running shower with hot and cold water, like you would find at a KOA campsite. I took a poll afterward and ‘camp shower’ meant bag filled with warmish water to half and KOA shower to the other half. Lesson learned. I cleaned up my language in the posting – letting people know exactly what facilities were available. I haven’t had any problems since.
4. Assuming Cheaper is Better
I had no idea what to charge when I began hosting the camping cabins. My first thought was to keep prices low. After all, I was brand new at this, and it was technically camping. Fortunately, a far more experienced and amazing host gave me some much-needed guidance in this area.
I was going all in with my camping cabin rentals. The property was becoming more and more park-like and was exclusively for guest use. Everything inside the camping cabins was brand new – a refrigerator, microwave, coffee bar, counter and cabinet space. Beds were made up and everything was spotless. I also wanted to attract a certain kind of guest. People wanting to reconnect with nature and with one another. People who respected the property and maybe even loved it a little.
I raised my prices. Not only did I still attract the kind of guests I was hoping for, the guests also seemed to appreciate the experience more. If you deliver quality, people don’t mind paying more. In fact, they expect to.
5. Forgetting the ‘Why’
When I talked to Jean on the phone it was after 8 PM on Friday. She would be arriving around 3 the next day. I still had a laundry list of jobs to complete. Railings to put up, piles of construction garbage and yard debris to get rid of. A good cleaning inside. I didn’t even have sheets for all the beds yet! In order to pull it off, I got up at 4 AM, clipped a light to my hat, and got moving.
With no time to plan, I started knocking off one job after another. I even found time to get to Walmart 40 minutes away and get the linens and other supplies I needed. I got it all done but wow it was a lot of work! Without having a strong enough ‘why’ I don’t know if I would have kept going.
My why? I wanted to build a place that was amazing, for friends, family, and guests. I wanted to add to a legacy. I wanted to share the magic, and so far, it’s worked!
6. Taking Things Too Seriously
What a mess that first camping cabin hosting experience was! After working all day, astounded that I actually got everything done, I decided to get cleaned up before Jean and her son arrived. It was 2 PM, so I still had an hour before they were due.
When I looked in the side mirror of my Silverado, I scared myself. Hair sticking straight up, dirt on my face and on my clothes, I had some scrubbing to do. The park is in a very rural area, and I didn’t think twice about stripping down at the tailgate of the truck, using a jug of water to rinse my hair, face and upper body. I was digging through my duffel bag for clean pants, tee shirt and underwear when, you guessed it. Jean and her son pulled in, an hour early, in an electric car that I never heard coming.
It’s amazing how quickly you can get dressed with the right motivation! I laugh about it now and have told the story to a lot of people. And now when I’m taking things too seriously I can think, at least I have my clothes on this time. If Jean noticed she never let on. And she gave me a five-star rating, so I guess all is well that ends well!
7. Giving Too Many Directions Instead of Letting Guests Discover on Their Own
I had no idea what I was doing when I first started hosting my camping cabins. I thought it would be helpful to write up a few pages about the property – its history, its features, etc. What I should have realized is that the property speaks for itself. Guests have loved exploring the trails, finding out where they lead all on their own.
They love to bring their own pole and fish in the creek, and like feeling like they discovered the downed tree that doubles as a bridge and takes them into a spectacular Hemlock forest.
Now I give a very basic lay of the land, a few instructions, and best way to contact me if anything is needed. After Jean, I haven’t been present when my guests arrive. We’ve messaged enough for me to have a fairly good idea what kind of guests they will be, and I haven’t been disappointed yet.
I make sure that guests can get in with their personal code to the door, and lights left on if it might be dark when they arrive. Guests seem to appreciate not feeling like guests. The camping cabin and property is theirs to enjoy and take care of for the length of their stay. So far so good.
8. Not Appreciating How Much the Little Things Matter
A lot of money was spent to furnish the camping cabins. Everything is clean and new, and guests have been extremely pleased with what they’ve found. But what people seem to notice and remember are the extra touches that cost almost nothing.
As an afterthought, I nailed an old dartboard to the outside of the firewood shelter by the camping cabin cluster firepit. People rave about it!
Pullies from an old barn that used to stand on the property. An Amish buggy wheel. A railway lantern. Old milk cans with a glass top added to make a table. This is the stuff that people remember.
This is one of the fun parts- scouring flea markets and secondhand stores for accents that guests notice and enjoy!
9. Worrying Too Much. Time in a Camping Cabin is a Gift That People Will Appreciate
Before I got some success under my belt, I was worried about this one. I had loved the property where my camping cabins stand since I was a little kid. I loved playing in the creek and exploring in the forest. I loved laying in the grass at night and looking up at trillions of stars I couldn’t see in the city.
I was afraid that maybe it must just me, and that other people wouldn’t get it. They do. I already have regular guests who tell me how much they love the property. Everyone who has visited so far has told me that they feel the magic too.
My advice? If you’re on the fence, go for it! It’s an amazing feeling when it all comes together and people can appreciate the space you’ve created.
10. Thinking There Isn’t Support
Remember Jean? My first guest who arrived right when I stripped down behind the Silverado? Fortunately for me, she is an Airbnb host as well, with spectacular property on the Upper Hudson. She makes it a point to stay at Airbnbs when she travels. She was very kind when she gave me extremely useful feedback and helped me get a great start.
And she told me that, as hosts, we have to support one another. She is so right. I’ve met a number of other hosts who have been extremely supportive as well. When done right we’re not competitors – we are a supportive community.
To that end, if you’re hosting or would like support as you explore hosting as a possibility, please don’t hesitate to subscribe to the Glampsite Joe blog on the Glampsite Joe contact page.
11. Not Realizing That Every Guest Has Something to Teach
Like a lot of people that I’ve spoken with who are about to jump into the Hosting world, I was nervous when I first started. But every guest has taught me something.
Most important, this has shown me that we are not all that different. Guests of diverse orientations, ethnicities, backgrounds have visited at the park, and there has always been a common thread. Everyone has expressed gratitude for time away. In nature. Together. Creating memories that will last.
That’s what you get to help make happen as a host. If you do, you will succeed. I recommend it highly!
